Culture minister Vlad Alexandrescu detailed in a press conference on Thursday on the national public subscription campaign kicked off for purchasing Brancusi’s “Wisdom of the Earth” sculpture. More precisely, the minister said that Romanians must also get involved and donate money to cover the EUR 6 million part of the total negotiated purchase price of EUR 11 million.
“It’s a historical moment when the Romanian state decided to decisively get involved in the cultural piece circuit in Romania. It’s a decision endorsed by the prime minister and the entire Government. The stake is that “Wisdom of the Earth’ should stay in the public circuit,” Alexandrescu said. He explained that the deal represents a historical reconciliation between the Romanian state and the sculpture’s owners, with the operation’s consequence being to re-launch Brancusi’s work as national cultural treasure.
According to the minister, the public subscription campaign represents an appeal to a co-operation with the Romanian citizens, private companies and Diaspora.
“The state offers EUR 5 million to reach a fair, reasonable price of EUR 11 million. We decided to resort to the Romanian citizens, private companies and Diaspora to contribute with money to supplement the sum offered by the state (…)If this fund raising campaign is successful, it will be a signal that the Romanian citizens want the state to get out of the apathy and inability state of the past years,” Alexandrescu said.
He informed that a national pro-bono campaign would be started through mass media soon, with the support of several cultural and political personalities.
The minister underlined that the offer submitted by the state to the heirs clearly included the specification that the Gov’t hasn’t the entire amount of EUR 11 M and that a bid would be called to donators.
Alexandrescu also announced that the acquisition procedure would be concluded on September 30, with the money to be paid on October 31. “I am sure the money will be raised by September 30,” he mentioned, stressing that it is the first time after 128 years when a national public subscription is revived, after the similar fund-raising campaign launched when the Romanian Athenaeum was built.
Once purchased, the sculpture will go on display in one of the Romania’s museums.